Honoring Our Law Enforcement Officers

May 19, 2023

Hello Friends,

It’s National Police Week, an opportunity to honor the brave law enforcement officers who put themselves in harm’s way every day to protect our communities. This week, we also remember the selfless men and women who died in the line of duty to keep us safe.

We will never forget our fallen New Hampshire law enforcement: Officer Frank J. Dustin, Officer Rory L. Bohanan, and Corrections Officer Lawrence C. Prather.

This morning, at the Annual New Hampshire Fallen Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, our state honored the courageous officers who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to New Hampshire and their community. We are forever indebted to these brave officers.

They will never be forgotten.

Keeping Our Communities Safe

Our law enforcement officers put themselves in harm’s way to protect our state – we must ensure they have the support and resources to do their jobs safely.

This week in Washington, we considered legislation focused on keeping our communities safe. I am proud to fight for our law enforcement officers and to work to deliver the support and the resources that they need.

Unfortunately, some of my Republican colleagues have taken a different approach.

Their budget proposal would cut billions of dollars from federal law enforcement, and this week, many even voted to allow private citizens to buy weapons of war — that includes not just assault weapons but sniper rifles and grenade launchers. That is not going to make our communities safer.

We have shared values in New Hampshire — I support the Second Amendment, but these extreme measures are not the right path. I’m urging my Republican colleagues to bring commonsense gun violence prevention measures to the floor so we can protect our families.

These are challenging times, but we need to come together as a community to take care of one another.

Protecting New Hampshire Forestland

We have a responsibility to protect our forestland.

New Hampshire is home to some of the most beautiful land in the world — we have a generational responsibility to protect it for our children and grandchildren. That starts with preserving our forests.

I was proud to introduce legislation this week to keep private forestland intact and encourage responsible stewardship so we can enjoy our forests and preserve our natural resources for years to come.

Ensuring Veterans Can Access the Benefits They Earned

I will always fight for those who served our country in uniform.

Too many of our veterans are left without access to the health care and benefits they have earned when they return home — that’s unacceptable.

That’s why I’m urging the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to include veterans who served in Kosovo in the benefits covered by the PACT Act so our service members can get the care they need.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/3OebXSm.

Addressing the Fentanyl Crisis

Together, we can expand access to mental health and substance use treatment and recovery resources.

Fentanyl doesn’t care about your politics — neither should our approach to addressing the overdose and mental health epidemics.

This week, I introduced bipartisan legislation to bolster our national response to the mental health and substance use crisis, stop the flow of these dangerous drugs into our communities, hold illicit distributors accountable, and connect individuals with treatment and recovery resources.

Strengthening Early Childhood Education

Students need a strong understanding of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics to thrive.

Earlier this week, I introduced the Early STEAM Achievement Act to strengthen early childhood education across the country and create new grant opportunities for teachers to integrate Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) into their curriculum.

This legislation will make a real difference in our schools and in the lives of our kids, and I look forward to getting it signed into law.

Celebrating New Hampshire Innovation

Congratulations to these students from Merrimack Valley High School – you are making New Hampshire proud!

Congratulations to Merrimack Valley High School on making it to the finals of Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow competition! It was wonderful to meet these students to hear about their vision and work to make it a reality.

Their phosphorous-filtering robot, Shelby, could protect the future of our waterways.

Learn more about their incredible project: https://bit.ly/433DM3U.

Lowering Health Care Costs

I’m working to lower health care costs for New Hampshire families.

Last year, 40% of Americans put off much-needed medical care because of cost — in the United States of America, that is unacceptable. It’s time for us to change the system.

My legislation to lower health care costs and increase transparency in drug pricing advanced through the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee this week. I will continue working to get this bill over the finish line for families in New Hampshire and across the country.

News You Can Use

May is Mental Health Awareness Month.

You are not alone. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, an opportunity to reflect on the importance of mental health and remember that you are not alone.

The 9-8-8 Lifeline provides 24/7 confidential support to Americans in crisis. If you or someone you love needs help, call or text 9-8-8 or visit http://988lifeline.org.

To stay updated on my work in Congress and around the Granite State and for important information and resources, like my page on Facebook and follow me on Twitter.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Be bold, be brave, be kind.

Sincerely,

Annie